Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
DIVING CUSHION FOR A REVERSIBLE SEAT
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] Example embodiments relate to a reversible seat assembly for an
automotive vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Reversible seat assemblies for use in automotive vehicles are
well
known in the art. For example, U.S. Patent Nos. 6,715,825 and 7,644,982
disclose seat assemblies that allow a user to position the seat back between a
forward-facing position and a rearward-facing position. The seat assembly in
U.S. Patent No. 7,644,982 includes a pair of links 94, 96 for positioning the
seat
back 14 between a forward-facing position A and a rearward-facing position B.
The seat assembly also includes a cushion control mechanism consisting of a
pair of forward 200 and rearward 202 linkages for automatically controlling
the
seat cushion incline angle in response to movement of the seat back.
[0004] Figure 1 illustrates another reversible seat assembly 10 for use
in
an automotive vehicle in accordance with the prior art. The seat assembly 10
includes a seat cushion 12 and a seat back 14 operatively coupled to the seat
cushion 12 for supporting a seat occupant in a generally upright seating
position. The seat cushion 12 includes a cushion frame 16 and a cushion pad
18, and the seat back 14 includes a recliner bracket 20. The seat cushion 12
is
supported above a floor in the vehicle by a seat riser 22. Reversing links 24,
26 extend between an upper end pivotally coupled to the recliner bracket 20 at
pivots 28, 30 respectively, and a lower end pivotally coupled to the seat
riser
22 at pivots 32, 34 respectively.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-10-21
[0005] As depicted in Figure 1, in these prior art reversible seat
assemblies 10, during the transition between the forward-facing position and
the rearward-facing position, the recliner bracket 20 would pass alongside the
seat cushion 12. Due to the overlap between the recliner bracket 20 and the
seat cushion 12, the seat cushion 12 has to be narrowed to avoid contact with
the recliner bracket 20 during the reversing process. A narrower seat is less
comfortable for an occupant.
SUMMARY
[0006] The present invention avoids contact between the seat cushion
and the recliner bracket by lowering the seat cushion during the reversing
process so that the recliner bracket can pass above the seat cushion rather
than
alongside it as it traverses from one side of the cushion to the other.
Because
the recliner bracket clears the seat cushion from above, the cushion does not
need to be narrowed to avoid contact with the recliner bracket.
[0007] According to one embodiment, there is provided a reversible
seat
assembly for use in an automotive vehicle. The seat assembly comprises a seat
cushion, a seat back, and a linkage. The linkage operatively couples the seat
back with the seat cushion. The linkage moves the seat back between one of
a forward-facing position and a rearward-facing position, and the linkage
lowers
the seat cushion when the seat back is moved towards a central position
between the forward-facing position and the rearward-facing position.
[0008] According to another embodiment, there is provided a
reversible
seat assembly for use in an automotive vehicle. The seat assembly comprises
a seat riser, a seat cushion, a seat back, and a plurality of reversing links.
The
seat cushion extends between a front end and a rear end. The seat back
comprises a recliner bracket. The plurality of reversing links extend between
an upper end pivotally coupled to the recliner bracket and a lower end
pivotally
coupled to the seat riser. The seat cushion is operatively coupled to the seat
riser for movement between a first position when the seat back is adjacent the
rear end of the seat cushion and a second position where the seat cushion is
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below the recliner bracket when the seat back is between the rear and front
ends of the seat cushion.
[0009] According to another embodiment, there is provided a
reversible
seat assembly for use in an automotive vehicle. The seat assembly comprises
a seat riser, a seat cushion, a cushion frame link, a seat back, and a
plurality
of reversing links. The seat cushion extends between a front end and a rear
end, and comprises a cushion frame. The cushion frame link extends between
an upper end pivotally coupled to the cushion frame between the front and rear
ends and a lower end that travels along an arc slot on the seat riser. The
seat
back comprises a recliner bracket. The plurality of reversing links extend
between an upper end pivotally coupled to the recliner bracket and a lower end
pivotally coupled to the seat riser. The lower end of the cushion frame link
is
positioned near an end of the arc slot when the seat back is adjacent the rear
or front end of the seat cushion, and the lower end of the cushion frame link
is
positioned near a center of the arc slot when the seat back is between the
rear
and front ends of the seat cushion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Advantages of the present invention will be readily
appreciated as
the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed
description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings
wherein:
[0011] Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of a reversible seat
assembly
in a neutral position in accordance with the prior art;
[0012] Figure 2 is a fragmentary side view of the reversible seat
assembly
in the forward-facing seating position in accordance with one embodiment of
the present disclosure;
[0013] Figure 3 is a fragmentary side view of the reversible seat
assembly
of Figure 2 in a neutral position; and
[0014] Figure 4 is a fragmentary side view of the reversible seat
assembly
of Figure 2 in the rearward-facing seating position.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
[0015]
Figures 2-4 illustrate one embodiment of a reversible seat
assembly 50 for use in an automotive vehicle. The seat assembly 50 includes
a seat cushion 52 and a seat back 54 operatively coupled to the seat cushion
52 for supporting a seat occupant in a generally upright seating position. The
seat cushion 52 is supported above a floor in the vehicle by an outboard seat
riser 56 and an inboard seat riser (not shown). Although the Figures and
description below refer to the outboard side of the seat assembly 50, the
present invention includes corresponding structures on the inboard side of the
seat assembly, as is well known in the art.
[0016] The
seat cushion 52 extends between a front end 58 and an
opposite rear end 60, and includes a cushion frame 62 and a cushion pad 64.
The seat back 54 includes a recliner bracket 66. Seat riser 56 includes a
circular
plate 68 with an arc slot 70. The circular plate 68 may be formed as part of
the
seat riser 56. Alternatively, the plate 68 may be welded to form the seat
riser
56.
[0017] The
seat assembly 50 also includes a seat cushion control
mechanism or linkage, generally shown at 72, for controlling the position of
the
cushion frame 62, and therefore the seat cushion 52, in response to movement
of the seat back 54 between the forward-facing seating position and the
rearward-facing seating position. The control mechanism 72 is a single degree-
of-freedom system, and includes reversing links 74, 76, a cushion rear upper
link 78, a cushion rear lower link 80, a cushion front upper link 82, a
cushion
front lower link 84, a cushion frame link 86, a cushion center short link 88,
a
cushion center long link 90, and a cushion four-bar link 92.
[0018]
Reversing links 74, 76 extend between an upper end pivotally
coupled to the recliner bracket 66 at pivots 94, 96 respectively, and a lower
end pivotally coupled to the seat riser 56 at pivots 98, 100 respectively.
[0019] The
cushion rear upper link 78 is pivotally coupled to the cushion
frame 62 at pivot 102. The cushion rear upper link 78 is pivotally coupled to
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the cushion rear lower link 80 at pivot 104. The cushion rear lower link 80 is
pivotally coupled to the seat riser 56 at pivot 106.
[0020] The cushion front upper link 82 is pivotally coupled to the
cushion
frame 62 at pivot 108. The cushion front upper link 82 is pivotally coupled to
the cushion front lower link 84 at pivot 110. The cushion front lower link 84
is
pivotally coupled to the seat riser 56 at pivot 112.
[0021] The cushion frame link 86 is pivotally coupled to the cushion
frame
62 at pivot 114. The cushion frame link 86 is pivotally connected to the
cushion
center short link 88 and the cushion center long link 90 at pivot 116. Above
pivot 116, a guide pin 118 connects the cushion frame link 86 to the arc slot
70.
[0022] The cushion center short link 88 is pivotally coupled to the
circular
plate 68 of seat riser 56 at pivot 120. The cushion center long link 90 is
pivotally
coupled to one end of the cushion four-bar link 92 at pivot 122. The opposite
end of the four-bar link 92 is fixedly secured to the end of the reversing
link 74
adjacent the seat riser 56 at pivot 98. Although depicted on the inboard side
of outboard seat riser 56, the cushion frame link 86, the cushion center short
link 88, the cushion center long link 90, and the cushion four-bar link 92 may
be connected on the outboard side of outboard seat riser 56.
[0023] Figures 2-4 illustrate the reversible seat assembly 50 of the
present disclosure in a plurality of seating positions. In Figure 2, the seat
assembly 50 is illustrated in a forward-facing seating position. Forward-
facing
is defined as the seat cushion 52 and seat back 54 positioned to support the
seat occupant in a direction facing toward the front of the vehicle, as is
commonly known. In the forward-facing seating position, the seat back 54 is
in a first generally upright position with the lower end of the seat back 54
adjacent the rear end 60 of the seat cushion 52. The linkage 72 positions the
seat cushion 52 in a first inclined position such that the front end 58 is
spaced
farther from the seat riser 56 than the rear end 60. The cushion front upper
link 82 and the cushion front lower link 84 are approximately linearly aligned
while the cushion rear upper link 78 and the cushion rear lower link 80 are
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folded together. The guide pin 118 is near the front end of the arc slot 70.
The
seat cushion 52 is locked via the seat back latch (not shown).
[0024] In Figure 3, the seat assembly 50 is illustrated in a neutral
position
between the forward-facing and the rearward-facing seating positions. During
the reversing process, the reverse link 74 drives the cushion four-bar link 92
to
rotate the cushion center long link 90 and the cushion center short link 88 so
that the guide pin 118 travels inside the slot 70 to lower the cushion height.
This motion will trigger the rotation of the seat cushion 52 to a horizontal
orientation by folding the cushion front upper link 82 and the cushion front
lower link 84 together. As depicted in Figure 3, in the neutral position, the
guide pin 118 is near the center of the arc slot 70, and the seat cushion 52
is
below the recliner bracket 66. Thus, there is clearance between the recliner
bracket 66 and the seat cushion 52 to allow the seat back 54 to translate
between the forward-facing and rearward-facing seating positions with the
recliner bracket 66 spaced above the seat cushion 52.
[0025] In Figure 4, the seat assembly 50 is illustrated in a
rearward-facing
seating position. Rearward-facing is defined as the seat cushion 52 and seat
back 54 positioned to support the seat occupant in a direction facing toward
the
rear of the vehicle. As the seat assembly 50 continues from the neutral
position
towards the rearward-facing position, the reverse link 74 continues to drive
the
cushion four-bar link 92 to rotate the cushion center long link 90 and the
cushion center short link 88 so that the guide pin 118 travels inside the slot
70
to raise the cushion height. The guide pin 118 is now near the rear end of the
arc slot 70. In the rearward-facing seating position, the seat back 54 is in a
second generally upright position with the lower end of the seat back 54
adjacent the front end 58 of the seat cushion 52. The linkage 72 positions the
seat cushion 52 in a second inclined position such that the rear end 60 is
spaced
farther from the seat riser 56 than the front end 58. The cushion rear upper
link 78 and the cushion rear lower link 80 are approximately linearly aligned
while the cushion front upper link 82 and the cushion front lower link 84 are
folded together. The seat cushion 52 is locked via the seat back latch (not
shown).
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[0026] The
invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it
is to be understood that the terminology, which has been used, is intended to
be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many
modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of
the
above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of
the
appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically
described.
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